CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Mr. Irrelevant Week Arrival Party Today

Mr. Irrelevant Week, a quirky event that puts Newport Beach on the map for football fans throughout the nation, will kick off today with an arrival party and the “Lowsman Banquet,” organizers said.

Mr. Irrelevant 2010 is Tim Toone of Weber State, who was selected with the 255th and last pick in the NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.

“I’m honored,” Toone said in a statement. “I am super stoked right now. It’s better than being the first pick.”

Irrelevant Week was founded in 1976 based on the idea celebrating the underdog, organizers said. Toone might have been the last draftee standing, but he’ll spend the week visiting Disneyland’s Toontown, making an appearance at an Angels game, riding in the Goodyear blimp and enjoying a regatta at the Balboa Bay Club.

“Everyone in football loves it,” retired NFL coach Jim Hanifan told Corona del Mar Today last month. “Who wouldn’t want a trip to Newport Beach?”

An arrival party will greet Toone at 5 p.m. today at the Newport Beach Marriott at 900 Newport Center Drive — the event is free and the public is invited to welcome Toone to the area with cheers. He also will receive gifts from local businesses and sports teams.

After the party, he will attend an banquet and receive the so-called Lowsman Trophy, which is a takeoff on the Heisman Trophy and shows a player fumbling the ball.

The event, which will run through July 2, also raises money for charities, organizers said. More than $1 million has been raised for groups including Goodwill, Special Olympics and Big Brothers of America.

For more information or details about getting a ticket to the banquet, visit the Mr. Irrelevant Week website.